Wire rope or cable



Nov. 15, 193 8. M. w. REED 2,136,867

WIRE ROPE OR CABLE Filed June 25, 1958 [wow afar: MfiLCGL/W W E550,

Patented Nov. 15, 1938 arrests wra none on one Malcolm W. liteetll, Shaker Heights, @hio Application .liune 23, 1938, Serial No. 215,454

2 Claims,

This invention relates to wire ropes or cables and, in particular, to cables designed for general hoisting purposes.

An object of the present invention is to provide 5 a cable in which all of the separate ropes forming the cable may be laid into their helical positions in such a way as to provide proper distribution of the load of the cable among the respective ropes forming the same, and at the same time provide a construction which will retard or prevent the separate wire ropes from coming into contact with each other while the cable is in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rope or cable which, when of a given strength, will bend without excessive stress over sheaves having diameters smaller than are now generally recognized as being proper for good rope usage.

Another objector the invention is to provide a rope or cable which has an improved resistance to slippage on sheaves and drums.

These and other advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds and reference is had to the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a transverse section of a cable structure embodying the present improvements.

In the drawing, the numeral 2 represents a main core upon which are helically laid the wire ropes it. This main core may be of metal, fiber rubber, rubber fabric or a combination of any of these or other substances which are of a softer or more resilient material than the wire strands t of the individual ropes 3.

The main core 2 is provided witha plurality of cylindrical bases 5 with substantially parallel sides 6 extending therefrom to form spacing members i integral with said core 2. While I have shown in the drawing the spacing members 1 extending from the center of the core outwardly to a point in substantial tangency with the wire ropes 3, it is to be understood that, if desired, said spacing members i may protrude substantially beyond the point of normal tangency of said wire ropes (tor, if preferred, may terminate at a point within a circle circumscribing the wire ropes.

The individual orseparate wire ropes forming, in combination, with the main core 2 the cable of the present invention, each comprises a core 8 of substantially the same or different material than the main core 2 and, in either case, the ma- 5()- terial of said cores 8 should be softer or more resilient than the wire strands l of said ropes 3.

By providing the cores 8 of the separate wire ropes forming a part of the cable of substantially the same construction as that of the main core 2 55 so that the cores 8 of the separate ropes likewise (ill. Elli-59) are provided with the spacing members 9 similar to those of the main core 2, it is possible to helically lay the plurality of wire strands it within the cylindrical bases lb of the cores 8 so that the Wire strands i are prevented from coming into contact with each other due to the spacing members 9 when they are helically laid upon the cores 8.

After the individual ropes are thus formed, they are helically laid within the grooves formed in the main core .2, and due to the spacing members i, the individual wire ropes forming the cable are prevented from coming into contact with each other While the rope is in use.

Wire ropes, for general purposes, are usually formed with a core of such substance, size and design that the wire strands, when laid up helically around this core, touch, or come close to touching, each other. This is considered essential in order that each strand of the rope shall, when in service, take its proper share of the load carried by the rope.

During the working of the rope, the core, in many cases, wears away or compresses to a further degree and permits the wire strands to bear more and more tightly against each other. The continued workingof a rope under such conditions causes the wires of one strand to wear into the wires of the adjacent strands, with a resultant interlocking which stiifens the entire mechanical construction of the rope, induces earlier fatigue of the wires, and thereby shortens the life and useful service or the wire rope.

However, under the present invention, I have constructed a wire rope which will permit the proper distribution of the load of the rope among the strands, and afford adequate safety factors when used, for example, in elevator installations.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited exactly thereto, since various modifications maybe made without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

l. A cable comprising a plurality of separate wire ropes helically wound about a main core, said main core provided with a plurality of grooves extending around its periphery, said separate wire ropes including a plurality of wire strands wound about individual cores, said cores of the individual wire ropes and said maincore having a greater resiliency than the wire strands wound thereover and including integral extending radial spacing members for said individual wire ropes and said strands to prevent said wire ropes from coming into contact with each other as well as preventing the strands of the individual ropes from coming into contact with each other.

2. A cable comprising a plurality of separate wire ropes helically wound about a main core, said main core provided with a plurality of radially extending spacing members for separating and maintaining said wire ropes in spaced relation to each other, said separate wire ropes including strands helically wound about a core provided with radially extending spaced members for separating and maintaining said wire strands in spaced relation to each other on the individual ropes forming the cable, said main core and the cores of the individual ropes having a greater resiliency than the wire strands wound thereover.

MALCOLM W. REED. 

